This is the edition of 19 October 2026. The dates and statuses below are as they stood on that day and may have changed since. Read the current edition.
European research funding spans a wide range of career stages and disciplinary contexts, from doctoral training to the consolidation of an independent research programme. Knowing which calls are on the horizon and what each one is designed to achieve gives researchers and their networks the time needed to prepare thoughtful, well-grounded proposals.
Of the five calls below, three are applied for by institutions or consortia, with individual positions recruited after the grant is awarded, and two are applied for directly by the individual researcher, together with a host organisation.
MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026
Open, closes 24 November 2026. MSCA Doctoral Networks.
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks bring together universities, research institutes, and non-academic partners to deliver structured doctoral training across disciplines and sectors. For a prospective doctoral candidate, the programmes that emerge from funded networks offer exposure to multi-partner environments and the chance to develop both research expertise and broader professional competences. The emphasis on cooperation between sectors and disciplines means that candidates recruited into these programmes often gain experience that extends well beyond a single laboratory or institution. Because the networks are designed to boost research and innovation capacity across participating organisations, the training environments they create tend to be internationally oriented and deliberately varied.
Preparation step. Identify research groups and institutions in your field that have previously coordinated or participated in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks, follow their vacancy announcements and programme pages closely, and use the period before funded positions are advertised to strengthen your research profile and gather strong references.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2026-DN-01-01
ERC Consolidator Grant
Open, closes 12 January 2027. ERC Consolidator Grant.
Who applies. The individual researcher applies directly, together with a chosen host organisation.
The ERC Consolidator Grant is designed for researchers who have already demonstrated independence and are building or consolidating their own research programme, making it a significant milestone grant for those at a mid-career stage. The call supports a principal investigator's own scientific vision, with substantial funding available for a five-year period, and allows for additional justified costs beyond the standard ceiling. Because the grant is tied to a specific principal investigator and their proposed programme, it rewards a clearly articulated, original research agenda rather than participation in a larger consortium. Researchers approaching this career stage should treat the call as an opportunity to crystallise years of work into a coherent, independently led scientific case.
Preparation step. Draft a concise statement of your independent research agenda, identifying the core scientific question you would pursue as principal investigator, then open a conversation with a prospective host organisation well before the deadline so the institutional support letter and administrative arrangements can be prepared without pressure.
Official topic page: ERC-2027-COG
MSCA COFUND 2027
Opens 8 December 2026, closes 6 April 2027. MSCA COFUND (doctoral programmes).
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND for doctoral programmes co-funds existing or new doctoral schemes at participating organisations, helping those organisations raise the quality, international reach, and long-term sustainability of their training. The expected outcomes emphasise a broad and diverse skill set for doctoral candidates, including the kind of cross-sector and cross-disciplinary exposure that shapes researchers capable of working in varied environments. For a prospective doctoral candidate, a COFUND-backed programme signals an institution that has committed to European standards of research training and has secured external validation of that commitment. Doctoral positions within these programmes are recruited after the grant is awarded, through the host organisation's own open calls.
Preparation step. Identify universities and research institutes in your field that have previously run or expressed interest in COFUND doctoral schemes, and monitor their graduate school announcements so you can apply for the funded positions once they are advertised.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2027-COFUND-01-01
MSCA Choose Europe for Science 2027
Opens 8 December 2026, closes 6 April 2027. MSCA COFUND (postdoctoral programmes).
Who applies. Institutions or consortia apply. Individual positions are recruited openly after the grant is awarded.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Choose Europe for Science funds postdoctoral programmes at organisations that commit to aligning their human resources and recruitment practices with the European Charter for Researchers and related European frameworks for research careers. For a postdoctoral researcher, this means that positions arising from funded programmes are embedded in institutions actively working to improve career stability and progression structures. The call's explicit focus on concrete career prospects and greater researcher autonomy signals that the programmes it produces are designed with longer-term professional development in mind. The alignment with the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment is also relevant for researchers who want their work evaluated through a broader and more transparent set of criteria.
Preparation step. Follow the websites and career portals of research organisations known for strong alignment with the European Charter for Researchers, note which ones are likely to seek this kind of co-funding, and in the meantime build a record of research outputs and collaborative activity that will make your profile compelling when postdoctoral vacancies from funded programmes open.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2027-COFUND-02-01
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2027
Opens 7 April 2027, closes 8 September 2027. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Who applies. The individual researcher applies directly, together with a chosen host organisation.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships support individual postdoctoral researchers in designing and carrying out their own research project at a host organisation, with outcomes that include broadening research and transferable skills and gaining international, inter-sectoral, or interdisciplinary experience. The call also expects host organisations to align working conditions with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, which is a meaningful signal about the environment a fellow can expect. Because the fellowship is researcher-led, the scientific proposal reflects your own intellectual priorities rather than a supervisor's existing agenda. Verify the mobility rule and all eligibility conditions on the official topic page before investing significant preparation time.
Preparation step. Begin shaping your research proposal around a question that is genuinely yours, then identify two or three prospective host groups whose expertise complements rather than duplicates your own background, and make initial contact to gauge mutual interest before committing to a full application.
Official topic page: HORIZON-MSCA-2027-PF-01-01
Deadlines, statuses, and call identifiers are drawn from the
EU Funding and Tenders Portal and were verified against it on the date shown above. Confirm each call's current status on its own topic page before you rely on it. These calls close at 17:00 Brussels time on their stated deadline. Clau is a free companion for doctoral candidates and early-career researchers that helps with the project text and application materials behind calls like these.